Editor's Note: TheStreet ratings do not represent the views of TheStreet's staff or its contributors. Ratings are established by computer based on metrics for performance (which includes growth, stock performance, efficiency and valuation) and risk (volatility and solvency). Companies with poor cash flow or high debt levels tend to earn lower ratings in our model.

Petroleo Brasileiro SA Petrobras ( PBR.A) pushed the Basic Materials sector lower today making it today's featured Basic Materials laggard. The sector as a whole closed the day down 0.5%. By the end of trading, Petroleo Brasileiro SA Petrobras fell 40 cents (-1.8%) to $22.07 on average volume. Throughout the day, 8.9 million shares of Petroleo Brasileiro SA Petrobras exchanged hands as compared to its average daily volume of eight million shares. The stock ranged in price between $21.88-$22.32 after having opened the day at $22.26 as compared to the previous trading day's close of $22.47. Other companies within the Basic Materials sector that declined today were: GeoPetro Resources Company ( GPR), down 14.9%, Geokinetics ( GOK), down 9.7%, Ivanhoe Energy ( IVAN), down 7.1%, and Cal Dive International ( DVR), down 6.7%.

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Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. primarily engages in oil and natural gas exploration and production, refining, trade, and transportation businesses. Petroleo Brasileiro SA Petrobras has a market cap of $145.84 billion and is part of the energy industry. The company has a P/E ratio of 7.1, below the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Shares are down 3.9% year to date as of the close of trading on Thursday.

TheStreet Ratings rates Petroleo Brasileiro SA Petrobras as a hold. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its reasonable valuation levels and largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures. However, as a counter to these strengths, we also find weaknesses including deteriorating net income, disappointing return on equity and weak operating cash flow.